Lockhart family loses everything right before baby is born

LOCKHART, TEXAS - A Lockhart family is without a home after a fire earlier this month, but it's what they lost in the fire and how their lives have changed since that's gotten the attention of people all over Central Texas.

One week ago, Serynity Davis was born healthy, happy and picture perfect to parents Cassandra Clayton and Eric Davis. The days leading up to her birth were anything but happy, when Cassandra and Eric came home to a nightmare two weeks before Serynity was due. Their Lockhart rental home filled with all their possessions had gone up in flames while they were out one morning.

"Biohazard tape was already around it, everything was gone,” said Clayton.

The hardest part, she said, was seeing the charred baby crib.

"I broke down about that because that was one of the main things I was super excited about,” said Clayton.

It seemed hopeless just two weeks before she was to give birth. All of their things were gone, until the Lockhart community heard what had happened.

"Her mom put a post on Facebook and we just got blessed by the community,” said Davis.

Donations from Lockhart and Austin started pouring in. Baby clothes, a crib, diapers and toys. Davis’ brother works for the Leander Fire Department and they raised $1,000 to give to Clayton and Davis to put a deposit on a new place to live.

"We found out about the $1,000 check when I went into labor,” said Clayton. “When we were going into the hospital to have her, his mom came in and said 'Look at this, this is what y’all got!' And it was just overwhelming to have her that day and then know that wherever we found a place we would be able to get in."

There was one thing that wasn't destroyed in the fire: the wooden chair that Davis had built for his daughter.

"Throughout the whole house everything was burnt except for that one chair it was in the middle of the house but there was no burn on it,” said Davis.

There is some water damage but they've decided they'll keep it this way as a reminder.

"Tell a story of how it got like that and she'll know and overcome it,” Davis said.

Overcome and move forward thanks to the help of their community.

The family could still use more diapers and formula as they try to get back on their feet with a newborn.

Donations can be dropped off at Lockhart’s Main Street Gift Shop at 1407 S Main St. Lockhart, TX 78644.